iFixit pulls apart Microsoft's Surface

Machine a headache to repair

iFixit's team of screwdriver-touting enthusiasts got its hands on Microsoft's tablet contender, the Surface, and laid bare the components for the world to see.

Delving into the device, iFixit staff discovered that although a quirky internal design, far removed from the iPad and the Nexus 7 or Kindles, the machine doesn't rate well on repairability. The team gave it a 4 out of 10, only just beating the iPad.

According to iFixit, the Surface is made so you can open it up without shattering the display, but even so, it is not simple: and you have to dig underneath the entire device to get to the glass.

The battery is easier to remove than the iPad, and although it is glued in, cutting it loose was not a headache for the iFixit team. It's a 7.4 V, 31.5 Wh Samsung battery putting it inbetween the iPad 2's 25 Wh and the iPad 3's 42.5 Wh.

Because there's no multi-megapixel rear facing camera, Microsoft, iFixit suggests, either was factoring in cost as a concern or simply didn't expect customers to use the Surface as their main camera. Both 720p cameras were almost identical.